The trade deadline is less than two weeks away.
How the Red Sox approach it will have a lasting effect on not only this season, but many to come as well.
Koji Uehara by Kelly O’Connor of Sittingstill.smugmug.com
Okay, sure Boston’s deficit in the AL is pretty big, but 8 games isnt the end of the world. In 2014, the typically strong East is essentially wide open. Boston needs to make a decision, either wave the white flag and move on to 2015, or bet the farm and retool for a 2014 playoff push.
I, for one, advocate for a waving of the white flag. Okay, maybe not completely, but the Red Sox have a selection of valuable pieces which they could get a boat load for.
Boston ought to look to sell of closer Koji Uehara firstly. We all love Koji and the high-five city he brings to bean town. But hold it right there, as unstoppable as he is, he’s also 39 and in the final year of his current contract. What’s to say he doesnt encounter a swift drop off upon hitting the big 4-0.
From 2013 to 2014, Koji barely dropped off, which is just swell. But an ageing closer doesnt exactly ring my bell. Who is to say that Boston can re-sign him in the fall or that he will even want to continue playing. Why not go for broke, and get some return before he rides off into the sunset.
Teams in need of bullpen help tend to be over-aggressive and over-spend mightily at the trade deadline. So I say “heck, why not make ’em pay.” Not to mention that swapping highly touted prospects for short rentals is nothing new (See Wheeler, Zack for Beltran, Carlos). Whole slews of teams are said to be pursuing relief help, if not aggressively. The Dodgers were said to be taking a look at old friend Jonathan Papelbon, while the Tigers have had some conversations about Joakim Soria.
The Angels just paid what amounts to a King’s ransom out of their comparatively meagre farm system. Either one of Detroit or Los Angeles (NL) would be able to offer something much more enticing than what the Padres received.
That’s the ticket though, the only real incentive in trading Uehara is receiving something more valuable than what he brings to the table. That highly touted prospect comes to mind.
Obviously, someone also has to deal with replacing Uehara, but I have two responses. The first being that the actual designated closer is a bit ridiculous. Plenty of guys can pitch their way through one inning. The JOB the closer does is hugely important, but who holds the ball, less so.
Secondly, any number of the guys in that bullpen could step up and hold down some form of closer role, or they could use a closer by committee approach. Namely Junichi Tazawa and Andrew Miller appear able to hold the back end down in the event that Boston does lose Uehara.
I’m not advocating for getting rid of Uehara just for the sake of doing, but only doing so if we can get an appropriate (over)return. There is not reason to think that the bullpen couldn’t pick up some of the slack any ways, and it isnt like the Red Sox are generating billions of save opportunities anyways.